Political Intrigue

Can you identify the sources of these quotes?

(1939):
[Title character]: You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty’s too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I’m free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn’t, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that.

(1962):
Dr. Yen Lo: His brain has not only been washed, as they say… It has been dry cleaned.

(1976):
Deep Throat: Follow the money.

(1993):
[Title character]: If you’ve ever seen the look on somebody’s face the day they finally get a job, I’ve had some experience with this, they look like they could fly. And its not about the paycheck, it’s about respect, it’s about looking in the mirror and knowing that you’ve done something valuable with your day. And if one person could start to feel this way, and then another person, and then another person, soon all these other problems may not seem so impossible. You don’t really know how much you can do until you, stand up and decide to try.

(1993):
Gray Grantham: Do you want to talk about the brief?
Darby Shaw: Everyone I have told about the brief is dead.
Gray Grantham: I take my chances.

(1995):
Sydney Ellen Wade: Yeah… I gotta nip this in the bud. This has catastrophe written all over it.
Beth Wade: In what language? Sydney, the man is the leader of the free world. He’s brilliant, funny, handsome. He’s an above-average dancer. Isn’t it possible our standards are just a tad high?

(1996):
Matt Douglas: Look, Joanna, if the book goes, if it doesn’t go, I don’t really care. I’m only writing it ’cause, frankly, I don’t know what else to do.
Joanna: I’m sure you’ve got plenty of options.
Matt Douglas: Not really. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’ll never be like Kramer, running around the country sucking up every dime that isn’t nailed down. Now Jimmy Carter, there’s a class act. He goes around building homes for poor people with his own hands. That’s classy.
Joanna: Well, you could do that.
Matt Douglas: Yeah, yeah. Maybe in a couple of years, but, uh, right now, my attitude is, they didn’t vote for me, let ‘em freeze.

(1999):
Arlene Lorenzo: We have a very important school report on turquoise jewelry due in two days, and we can’t find any books on it, and the President’s having us followed. It’s too much pressure.

(2000):
Shelly Runyon: Greatness is the orphan of urgency, Laine. Greatness only emerges when we need it most… in time of war or calamity. I can’t ask somebody to be a Kennedy or a Lincoln. They were MEN created by their times. What I… What I can ask for… is the promise of greatness. And that, Madam Senator… you don’t have.
Laine Hanson: Well, then… I just wouldn’t be using sex as leverage… if I were you, Sheldon. Because, you know, there’s one thing you don’t want. It’s a woman with her finger on the button who isn’t getting laid.

(2003)
Mays Gilliam: I live in a neighborhood so bad, you can get shot while ya gettin’ shot.

(2004):
Monroe Cole: [Monroe regarding a telephone talk with his embittered and greedy ex-wife who is demanding more of his fortune] Seven million!
Grace Sutherland: It’s a negotiation.
Grace Sutherland: You’ve handled dictators. You’ve handled terrorists.
Monroe Cole: Terrorists were easier, I swear to God!

(2004):
Raymond Shaw: I served under him. He was a good man.
Eleanor Shaw: Well, that’s what the neighbors always say about serial killers.

(2005):
Grace Bridges: If Moses had been a woman, leading the Jews out of Egypt, she’d have stopped to ask for directions. They would’ve found Israel within a week.

(?)
[Host]: We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That’s cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it’s not cowardly.

Of Kids, Books, and Dogs

There are apparently several of these programs around. I saw a report recently of one that has a big Mastiff for the kids to read to. But I don’t remember where I saw it and my brief search didn’t turn up that one. But this will do:

Kids, books, and dogs. Sounds about perfect to me….

Being Shown the Door

Some years ago I worked part time at a home building supply store. Occasionally I had to work the customer service desk and write up merchandise return tickets. We always had to ask why the customer was returning the item. One day a man was returning a storm door. When I asked why he said, “It keeps banging my wife.”

[blink...blink....]

“Yes sir. I just need to get a manager to sign this….”

Return of Respect?

There isn’t much about politics or politicians that I respect. Our system has polarized so that the most extreme viewpoints are encouraged and true compromise is quite rare. But McCain made a couple statements recently for which I have to respect him, especially because he stood his ground even when he got groans and boos from his supporters.

Campaign Trains

I got his in email and it was uncredited. If anyone knows the source, let me know. And I hope you get a chuckle from it in any case!

Campaign Trains

Hands Up

I saw the doctor today to get the MRI results. My arm has improved, but I still can’t raise it and it’s still pretty sore. The MRI shows a bruise on the bone but doesn’t show any damage to the rotator cuff or any torn ligaments — about the best news I could have hoped for at this point. [Well, see below....] I need to go for physical therapy for a few weeks and there is a place for that just two blocks from my house. I go there for the first time on Friday afternoon and I think I’ll be able to schedule my PT without missing more work. I have another doctor appointment in about six weeks. Until then, no more racquetball….

The pups are doing well. Work sucks, but I don’t want to get into all that right now. So that’s what is new with me!

[Note: In some alternate reality I am being nudged awake by a gorgeous young woman telling me the last few weeks are all just a bad dream. That would be better news. But in my reality, I got about the best news I could hope for today....]